Christ has died, Christ is risen....

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 28 March 2005 19:56:04

The celebration of Easter cannot truly be appreciated unless one has gone through Holy Week and the Triduum. Devotions and Compline, a devotional evening of seasonal music - by an Exeter chamber choir, so I could enjoy sitting back and listening for a change; the glimmer of light at Maundy Thursday - 'A new commandment I give unto you', the bare altar and wooden cross of Good Friday - 'We glory in your cross O Lord', and the gradual lighting of the church with candles from the New Fire and the Paschal candle, followed by the Exsultet and a blaze of Glorious light on the Saturday. Easter Day was a sense of achievement, of having come on a long journey, at the end of which was 'This Joyful Eastertide' and a basket full of cream eggs.

Having sung 'This joyful Eastertide' twice already by Easter Evensong, the choirmaster decided to spare us and had us sing Wesley's 'Blessed be the God and Father' instead. To a slightly fuller church than hear our normal evensong offerings. Perhaps some of the augmented Easter congregation might come along again a few times more before Christmas......